Everything Went Numb Chapters 18
by lolcatsmanseven
Summary: Mark Mentz was walking home late one night, when he got his throat cut by a hood. He died, but was given another chance. Unfortunately, due to the seriousness of his injury, he wasn't healed fully. Being unable to form any coherent speech, he is not regarded as an equal. How will the Mane Six deal with what they consider to be nothing more than an animal? Cancelled.


**Chapter: Everything Went Numb (edited)**

**Author's Note: I have already uploaded this story to , and am now posting it here too. This was my first story, and the chapters were way too short. So I am posting them all as one chapter, including the original Author's notes.**

**Author's Note: Well, this is my first story. I've read a lot of them, and I'd had a version of this idea bouncing around in my head for a really long time. I've tried starting it before, but I never got far at all. I think this is the best I can do, so please give it a chance. ANd if you have any suggestions or constructive criticism, please let me know in the comments. Am I doing this author's note right? Well, I hope you enjoy.**

**Edit: Thanks to "RandomEncounter" and "behindcds" for their excellent criticism.**

Slightly out of breath I stepped out of the gym and onto the dark streets. The cool night air stung my sweaty skin. I knew I should've brought a coat, but I thought I wouldn't need it. I started walking faster, I wanted to get to my apartment and warm up.

_Joseph said to bring a coat, but no! I'm a badass I said. Coats are for sissies._ I cursed my roommate, Joseph for being unable to convince me to bring a coat. I sighed, and hunched over to conserve heat. It didn't help as much as I thought it would. As I walked even faster, I began to shiver, until I pulled a shoulder muscle. _Wow. I can't even shiver without pulling a muscle. Unbelievable._

As I grumbled to myself about the cold I took a right down an alley; I usually didn't like alleys, but this one was a shortcut home. I checked the time on my phone, it was 11:30 p.m. If I wanted to salvage my chemistry grade I would need to ace the final. If I got home soon I could take a couple hours to study for my final. Lost in thought while looking down at the bright screen, I didn't notice a dark silhouette leaning against a building until I was right next to it.

Suddenly the shadow stepped out in front of me, the glint of a knife blade flashing in its hand. "I'll be taking that phone now." A squeaky voice boomed to me.

_I can't believe this_, I thought to myself. _This punk thinks he can rob me. Me! Well, what he doesn't know is that I'm a boxer._

"Alright, alright. No need to be hasty." I said to him as I slowly started to hand him my phone. He lowered his switchblade as he reached for it. _Yes, that's it. Drop your guard, just a little more… Now!_

Quick as lightning I leapt on my, my left hand grabbing for his knife. He fell over backwards with me on top of him. With my free right hand, I started pummeling his face. _What an idiot, picking a fight with me of all people_, I thought to myself. Suddenly I lost my grip on his left hand, and I heard him shout.

I heard the splatter of blood hitting to ground. I rolled off of him, slamming my head against the pavement. As I lay on the ground, I heard his fleeing footsteps echoing down the alley. But that wasn't important to me. What was important was that I could see a thick layer of sticky redness coating my chest!

"Is this… is this my blood?" I numbly asked myself. Or at least I tried to. For some reason I couldn't make a sound aside from a chocked gurgling. I weakly leaned up against a grimy trashcan, but as soon as I leaned my head against it, my head exploded in agony. I must've hit it very hard. I attempted to press my hand against my throat, or what was left of it. The task was made harder by my wavering vision and light headedness. _I have to stop the bleeding!_ I desperately shouted in my head.

I ripped off my hat and pressed it firmly against the slash on my throat. Within seconds it had become completely soaked; it leaked blood all over my hand. _Not good, not good at all._ Things were starting to fade faster. _No! No! I won't go out like this! Not me! I promised them… I promised them that I would get all A's next semester, and goddammit I keep my promises!_

I felt a massive spark of rage ignite inside of me. The flames of anger spread throughout my body, until I could deny it no longer. I attempted to scream in fury, but again, I could only gurgle. I started chuckling, or at least I tried to. _Man, this is hilarious! Me, being taken out by some punk kid. What a joke! I mean, it isn't a very funny joke, but a joke nonetheless._

Limply, my hand dropped my blood soaked hat, my entire arm soon following it to the ground. My head felt very heavy, I could no longer hold it up. I was losing energy, and I just didn't care. My vision started to darken, and all it elicited from me was apathy. All that I had left was the pain from my head and my throat, and soon that too faded.

Everything went numb.

"Well hello there." A voice echoed throughout the inky blankness I found myself in._ What happened? How did I get here? Wait, the hood! He... He cut my throat! Am I in some sort of hospital? I tried opening my eyes, but then I realized they were already open. Am I blind?_

"How… how did I survive?" I croaked in a hoarse voice.

"You didn't." The voice replied almost carelessly. "Yep, you're dead. Now, normally I'd tell you that since you're a good person or whatever I'll give you another chance in another world. That's not the case here, but you died too young for you to make much of an impression either way. So, you can go to another world, however, you were almost decapitated, and I may be all-powerful but I am most certainly not God. So, suffice to say I will not be able to fully heal you. I know this is sudden, and I may sound insensitive, but let's be honest here, you're not my highest priority. So, in case I haven't been clear, you have another shot at life, if you chose to accept it."

_How, how is this possible? I should be dead! How can he say he'll give me another chance! You know what, just go with it. I can't even begin to grasp my own death; so I'm just gonna go along with what he/she/it is saying. I know it's not healthy to bury your emotions; eventually the realization of my untimely death will hit me like a ton of bricks, but not now. Just not now._

"I'll go."

"Now, this is the part where I usually say something cool sounding, but that's just too much effort."

Suddenly I felt myself fading again, and the thought of yet another death terrified me. I tried desperately to cling to my fading consciousness, but I couldn't. I felt myself sinking, until I was gone.

**Chapter: What is this?**

A bird chirping was the first thing I heard upon awakening, or rather, semi-awakening. _How odd._ I thought, _normally I never hear any birds in the city._ _And stranger still they clearly weren't the crow and pigeons I was used to hearing. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say robins or blue jays (I'm not a bird person). You know, it's actually pretty peaceful lying on my back with my eyes closed._

Suddenly I remembered events just before I "died." _My throat! My throat should be cut._ I could feel dried blood covering my face and chest. Hesitantly, I twitched my hand to bring it up to my face. As soon as I did, I noticed what my hand was resting on.

_Grass? But there isn't any grass near my apartment. Then how is my hand on it?_ As I pondered this revelation, I noticed my other hand was on hard dusty substance. I attempted to move my other hand, but the most I could do was raise it a few inches, then have it drop to the ground.

_Great. Just Great. Here I am, somehow partly on the grass, and I can't even move my arms a little. But what about the rest of my body?_ Starting with my feet, I tried moving anything I could. I never got more of a response than the one I had from my hands, which was greatly worrying. Desperately, I again attempted to move my right hand. This one was more responsive than the other one. I slowly brought it up to my chin, and then hesitantly probed my throat.

_Wha…What is this?_ I was stunned. There should be a gaping hole in my throat, but instead there was just a massive amount of dried blood! Somehow my wound had closed over while I was unconscious. _Well, maybe something is finally going my way,_ I thought as I dropped my hand back to the ground. I was too tired to even think about my situation.

With the realization that I was no longer bleeding out, I was content to lay down against the grass. _That's right, the grass! I'd better see what I'm lying on! _

I tried to open my eyes, but I simply couldn't. They were like lead weights; I knew I wouldn't be seeing anytime soon. I started drifting in and out of consciousness. _Well, this is bad._ I thought. _I'm helpless. What if someone with less-than-good intentions discovers me in this state? I hope no one sees me._

Eventually, I started to get thirsty. Really thirsty. _Scratch that, I hope someone finds me, and soon. I don't know how much longer I can last._ The dehydration steadily grew worse. My lips were cracked; my tongue was swollen. I'd lost all sense of time; I had no idea how long it had been since I'd woken up.

Now, I'd never been religious, but this was a desperate time. I didn't pray, per se, I just started hoping to God that someone would find me before it was too late.

It appeared my hope would not be answered. I felt like I was dieing. The pain was unbelievable. _Well, if this is how it's gonna end, it's still better than if I'd been killed by that hood._ My mind started to fog. Even if I'd tried, I was unable to move any of my limbs at all. _Huh, I guess I couldn't keep my promise after all._ I mused.

I was almost completely gone, but I was still able to hear clopping sounds approaching me. _Is, is that a horse's foot steps? Please be a person on it!_

"Oh no! Just look at this poor little baby!" A feminine voice called out from the directions of the noises.

"Little baby? That thing's bigger than Big Mac!" A different, less feminine voice replied.

_Oh thank God, I knew you were listening!_ I thought with the last of my strength. _People. I hope they help me._ I was fading fast, and could barely make out what the first one was saying.

"We'd better get him back to Ponyville so I can… OMYGOSH! Rainbow, do you see all the blood! Omygosh omygosh! Is it still breathing? Oh, poor, poor baby! Don't worry, I'll help you get all better."

I don't know why, but I felt reassured. I was confidant the voice, whomever it belonged to, would help me. And then I was gone.

**Chapter: A Better Place?**

Darkness.

_Am I still alive? Where am I? And why do I feel so... Heavy?_ Suddenly I noticed that my skin was damp. _Why am I wet?_ Slowly, I reached up and felt my face. Hesitantly, I rubbed where I could feel the wetness. _This... This isn't blood. Did someone wash my neck?_

I cracked open my eyelids. It was a big mistake. The light in wherever I was contrasted heavily with the darkness I had been in; it made my eyes burn. I slammed my eyes shut, waited several seconds, then opened them again. This time, the light did not hurt, though everything was still blurry. I attempted to sit up, but had only managed to get to my elbows my energy abruptly ran out, and I fell back onto what I noticed to be a blanket.

Now with nothing to do, I thought. _OK, what do I remember. There was a hood, and I died. But, I couldn't have died, right? I mean, if I was dead I wouldn't be able to do this thinking, would I? But, that voice that talked to me. Was it real? Nah, it couldn't be real. I mean, how could I die yet still be alive? Or what if I did die, and I just imagined the voice? What if I'm dying right now, but I just think I'm peacefully lying here?_ That thought greatly disturbed me.

My reverie was interrupted by a sharp sense of pain emanating from my neck. _But I thought my wound had been healed and washed? How is it still hurting?_ As I reflected on the pain, I realized it was my throat that was hurting, not my neck. Upon closer inspection, I realized I was thirtsy. Extremely thirsty.

_I guess whoever cleaned my neck didn't give me any water. This is bad. If I don't get some water soon, I don't know what state I'll be in._ I resolved to simply wait for my savior to bring me water. This left me more time to think, which I did not need.

_Why... Why did this have to happen to me? Out of a world of six billion people, this had to happen to me. To me! I didn't deserve this! And if I did, there was plenty of people who deserve this much more than me! Why didn't this happen to Joseph?no one can pretend he wouldn't deserve this. But no! I had to be the one to get my throat cut!_ I started getting really worked up. I know it sounds like a little kid having a tantrum, but I clenched my fists and ground my teeth until I lacked the energy to do so.

After my little freak out, which is very hard to do when you can barely move, I realized that my exertion had only made my thirst worse. _OK, first thing's first. I need to get some water, but it's not like I can get it myself. Wait, someone had to clean my wound and put me on a blanket! Maybe they're still around?_ With a clear goal in mind, I began to look around the room in earnest. I noticed I was on a blanket in the middle of the floor of what appeared to be a sitting room. It was fully furnished, but everything seemed slightly too small. I tried to make sense of why this would be. _Maybe the person who saved me is small? But, then how did they get me into this cottage?_

As I reflected upon the stature of the owner of the house, I heard a small noise in the other room. _What was that? Wait, it must be a person!_

I strengthened my resolve, and tried to call out "Water." The keyword being tried. The most I could manage was a weak grunt. Shocked, I tried again with slightly more force, and was rewarded with a slightly louder grunt. _Oh no! What if they can't hear me?_ I desperately thought. Fortunately, my fears proved unfounded.

"Who's there?" A small voice called out.

Excited at the prospect of finally meeting my savior, I grunted again. I was rewarded by the sound of a pair footsteps, one slightly behind the other. _Yes, yes! Please come!_ I thought as I prepared myself to meet the one who saved me, a girl based on her voice.

Suffice to say, I was unprepared for when a small, yellow horse with a pink mane stepped into the room.

**Author's note. Wow. I never expected to get more than twentyish views. Oh yeah, if you have any thoughts on how I'm doing, or where this is heading, please tell me. Feedback, god and bad, is greatly appreciated. The next chapter is going to be much longer. I will keep writing this as long as someone is reading. :)**

**Chapter: Unfortunate Business**

_What... What is that?_ After drawing the attention of what I thought to be my host, a small yellow horse walked in! I numbly stared at her, my thirst forgotten. The horse seemed to have no such reservations. It walked right up to me, then made eye contact. I was shocked at what happened next.

"oh, you poor, poor baby. Well, don't worry Doctor Fluttershy is here to make you all better." She said with a small smile (I could tell she was a she based on her voice).

_Oh, hey... That little horse just talked to me! Wait, what? A freakin tiny horse just talked to me! How is this even possible? Whoa, whoa. So what if a horse talked to me? No big deal. No big deal. No big deal. I mean, I died already, or did I? Wait, no! Don't think about that again! Just think about the nice little horse in front of you that TALKED! Wait no, it's probably just the blood loss talking. I mean, how could a horse talk to me? Don't you need a tongue to talk? Do horses even have tongues?_ my half manic thought process was interrupted by the horse nudging at my arm.

"Ummm... How are you feeling?" She asked with a worried look.

_She wants to know how I'm feeling. How thoughtful. Well let's see, I might be hallucinating from blood loss from getting my throat slit, and I'm extremely dehydrated. So, I guess I'm doing just peachy!_ I opened my mouth to say this, but the most I could manage was what sounded like a low growl.

"Oh no! Are you okay? Are you hungry? Or are you thirsty? Or maybe you're tired?" She began to ask me questions at a rapid fire pace, before suddenly straightening up. "I know just what you need! Wait right here!" She proclaimed before running off.

Slightly bemused by her rapid fire questioning, I thought over my current situation. _I'm helpless, and trapped in a cottage with a talking horse!_ _Maybe I can escape? Wait, how can I outrun her? I can barely move._ As I considered the best way to make my exit, she came back into the room carrying a small platter with a small bowl of water and several carrots.

Nervously, I tried to squirm away, but inexorably she drew closer. She set down the platter next to me and said:

"Alright little baby! I know you're hungry, so Doctor Fluttershy brought you food." She then reached down onto the platter and grabbed a knife in her mouth. As I saw the glint of the steel, i remembered the last time I had seen someone carrying a knife. Suddenly, I was back in that dark alley where that hood killed me.I

"No!" I attempted to say as my terror grew, but as usual all that came out was a weak moan.

"Oh dear, you must be really hungry!" My self appointed doctor said after she finished cutting up the carrot. She picked up little pieces and held them in front of my face. "Here comes the choo-choo. You better open wide for it."

_I can't believe this! She thinks she's going to feed me! Well, no one feeds Mark Mentz! I'll just wait until I'm strong enough to do it myself!_ Confident in my decision, I turned my head to the side.

"Oh please! Just one bite? Please just try one teensy little bite. It'll make you feel better."

_Ha! I said I wouldn't eat any and I won't!_ I turned my head a little more, so I was barely facing her.

"Please? Just a little bite? Oh, why won't you? Is it something I did?" At this, she began to sniffle.

_Oh no! Please don't cry! Here, I'll eat the carrots! Just, please don't cry!_ Of course, when I tried to convey that sentiment to her it came out as a gurgle. Sighing, I turned to her and opened my mouth.

"Oh thank you! See, dont you feel better with a little food in you?" Fluttershy asked after feeding me two carrots. "Here, have some water." At that, she poored some water into my mouth. I greedily drank it, even though it made my throat ache worse for a moment.

"Alright, now that that is out of the way, what are you little guy?" She asked while looking me over.

**Author's note. I... I have a confession to make. I'm scared of horses.**

**Chapter: Always play a slow song**

"So, what are you? If you don't mind me asking." Fluttershy asked me.

I attempted to inform her that I was a human, but all I succeeded in doing was groaning. _God dang it! Why do I keep forgetting I can't talk?_ As I couldn't tell her my species, I settled for just staring quizzically at her. _I mean, I guess I could try miming a response. But how could I mime "human?"_

"Oh, you can't talk, can you? Well, that's okay, I take care of all the animals." She then looked at my face, and giggled before saying, "Oh dear, you've mad quite the mess. Although, how did you do that with just carrots and water?

I shrugged, then looked down at my chest and noticed I had somehow soaked my shirt with the water, and covered my chest with little chunks of carrots. _How did that happen? I don't remember spilling that much. Actually, I don't remember spilling at all._

"Well, let's get you cleaned up." Fluttershy said as she picked up the green parts of the carrots I didn't eat, and the empty bowl of water and took them to what I assumed to be the kitchen. I heard the rustling of pans, and then the running of water, so I assumed she was washing the dishes. As I waited for her to come back, I heard her softly humming a tune. The melody resonated throughout my body, and I began to feel peaceful.

I got so lost in the tune that I didn't notice Fluttershy had come back into the room until she stopped humming. I looked over at her, wondering why she had stopped, and saw she had a little wash clothe in her mouth. Before I could attempt to protest, she gave my face a thorough wipe down, despite my attempts at pushing her away.

"So, you have clothes just like Opalescence, so that means you must have an owner. Oh, I hope they know you're okay. Well, don't worry little guy, I'll help you find you're owner! As soon as your better, I'll take you outside and we'll look for your owner together. Oh, I guess we'll have to wait at least until tomorrow, it's time for you to go to bed." After she said this, Fluttershy covered me in another blanket, and began to sing me a lullaby.

I rapidly shook my head, and thought, _What, no! I don't wanna go to sleep! I like, just woke up a little while ago! I'm not tired! Hah! She thinks singing a little lullaby will make me tired? That's not gonna work._ I was confident in my ability to stay awake, until I noticed how comfortable the blankets were, and how melodious Fluttershy's singing voice was. My eyelids began to get heavy. _No! I'm a grown man!_ I raged inside my head.

Alas, my resistance was short lived, and soon I found myself asleep.

I awoke to the feeling of suffocation. Somehow, I had twisted so much during my sleep that I had wrapped the blanket several times around my face. Panicking, I flailed my arms until my face was freed. Gasping in huge gulps of air, I suddenly realized I had moved my arms. _I can feel my arms! I'm all better!_ I attempted to stand up, but promptly fell down. _Okay, maybe I'm not all better._

When I fell down, I'd made a pretty loud crash, so I soon heard the galloping of a certain horse.

"Omygosh! Are you okay? I heard a crash, ohhhh, I hope you didn't hurt yourself!" Fluttershy said worriedly as she entered the room. I responded with a small groan, I had actually hit my head pretty hard. "Well don't you worry! I'll be right back!"

Within moments Fluttershy had returned with a small ice pack. "Alright now, I need you to sit up so I can put this on your head." I sat up, and she placed the ice pack on my forehead. "There, doesn't that feel better now?"

Suddenly Fluttershy adopted a quizzical look on her face, then asked me, "Do you have a name?"

_Yes! Yes! It's Mark Mentz!_ Of course, she couldn't read my mind, so I could only nod.

"Can you tell me?" Fluttershy asked. She sat looking at me for a few moments, before remembering I couldn't talk. She tapped her chin with her hoof thoughtfully before informing me: "Well, since you can't tell me, I guess I'll just have to name you. But first, I'll need to check to see if you're a guy or a girl whatever you are." As she said this she nonchalantly began reaching for my pants.

I immediately went pale at the thought of her viewing my manhood. _Heh, she's joking, right? I mean there's no way she could be serious about this! No way!_ Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly noticed her hoof was only inches away from my zipper. I slapped her hoof away, and was rewarded with the sound of cracking bones. It turns out a hoof is much harder than a fragile hand.

I'm not proud of this, but I may have given a tiny whimper. Ok, a big whimper. I clutched my hand close to my chest, and I could _feel_ my bones moving around under my skin.

Fluttershy was taken aback by the sudden turn of events, and seemed horrified by the pain I was feeling. "Omygosh omygosh omygosh!" she exclaimed before flying to a different room.

I took a break from whimpering, in a manly way, to notice that _Oh my god she has wings! What the heck! Is she gonna have magic next? Is she gonna teleport or move crap with her mind?_ this line of thinking was eclipsed by a fresh wave of pain from my shattered hand.

Suddenly Fluttershy flew back into the room carrying a small white box with a red cross on it. "Oh, hush now you poor little baby. Doctor Fluttershy is here, so please give me your hand."

_Yeah right I'm going to give you the hand that YOU just broke._ I scrunched down, but still met her gaze.

"Oh please. Please just give me your hand. Pleeeeeaaaase!"

_Oh no! She's gonna cry again. I can't resist a girl when she cries!_ Honestly, I wish she had cried, as I could have salvaged some of my damaged masculinity.

Suddenly her gaze intensified, and she looked furious. I could see a picture of pure hell in her eyes, and the promise that I would beg to go there if I continued to refuse her. "I said give me your hand!" She commanded!

My mind went blank, I was terrified of her eyes, but in couldn't look away. Numbly, I offered her my hand in an attempt to appease her.

As soon as my hand was bandaged my her skilled hooves, her demeanor completely changed back to her normally kind self. Even though she was no longer scary, I was still frozen out of the fear that she would revert to her monstrous rage form.

"Alright, now that your attitude has been fixed, it's time to check to see if you are a boy or a girl." She said while giving me a small smile. I was still too scared to resist.

"So you're a boy! Huh, now what should I call you?" Fluttershy asked while tapping her chin with her hoof. "I know! I'll call you Teddy because your like a big furless Teddy Bear! Oh! I'll ask Rarity to make you a nice collar with your name on it in case you get lost! Oh, you'll look so cute! And maybe you can get a little vest too! And a..."

Her ramblings were lost on me. I was still thinking about those eyes.

**Chapter: All You Do Is Run**

_Now this is just undignified._ I thought to myself as Fluttershy led me through Ponyville. I had my hand wrapped tightly in gauze and a brace. Fluttershy was extremely thorough when it came to first aid; I even had bandages around where I hit my head. The wrappings on my head were completely unnecessary, and I felt more than a little ridiculous to be wearing them. _Honestly, I'm just glad she gave up on trying to make me wear a cone._

Yes, Fluttershy had attempted to get me to wear a cone to: "Stop you from scratching your head and reopening your cut." As she so insultingly put it. _Heh, like I would ever wear a cone! Although, if she'd used those eyes on me again, who knows._ I remembered those _eyes_, and unconsciously shuddered.

"Oh dear, are you okay? Are you too cold? Do you need a blanket?"

I furiously shook my head at the thought of further embarrassment; I didn't want my masculine mystique to take any further hits. I sighed, and decided to pony-watch as we walked through the town. Surprisingly enough, no one was responding to my presence, almost like they expected Fluttershy to be leading a strange animal through town. _Too bad,_ I thought to myself, _I would've enjoyed to see their reactions._

I started trying to count the number of different colors the ponies came in, but I soon lost count. _So a pinkish orange color makes twenty seven, or was it twenty eight? Ah whatever. Hey wait a minute! How come all the different ponies have a tattoo on their ass?_ I looked all around, and sure enough there was a small tattoo on the rear of every pony.

Fluttershy took this moment to pipe up. "Alright Teddy, we're here! Time to meet my friend." She turned around and saw me still walking towards her, lost in thought. "Uh, Teddy?"

_Man, If I knew how to give people, er... ponies, tattoos, I could make a serious amount of money! Although, why do they all have it on the same spot? Maybe it's a coming of age thing? So do the kid's choose their own tattoo, or do their parents. Must be their parents, otherwise the tattoos would be of dragons, or swords or something like that._

"Teddy. We're here. Oh, please pay attention to me."

_So If I had to get a tattoo on my ass, I think I'd like get an Eye of Sauron! Nah, that'd be lame. I'd get a... actually, the whole idea of getting a tattoo on my ass is sort of lame. No, what'ed be cool is if I got some chains or barbed wire tattooed around my arm. Then I'd be just like..._

My thought process was interrupted when I bumped straight into Fluttershy, and suddenly noticed I was standing in front of a carousel-esque building. The door burst open, and out came a white horse, with a HORN! _What! They come with horns now?_

"Is everyone alright? I heard a crash and so I-Fluttershy! Darling, why are you lying on the dirty ground?" The unicorn spoke in a posh accent; it made me want to giggle.

The unicorn helped Fluttershy to her feet, er... hooves, then did a double take upon noticing me. "And what is that _thing_?" She asked Fluttershy who was still a little dizzy from her meeting with the floor. She shook her head a couple times, then answered:

"Oh, ummm, his name's Teddy. He's lost, so I thought I'd help him find his owner." Fluttershy then leaned in as if to share a secret. "Between you and me, I think he might be as smart as Angel Bunny."

_Did she really just compare my intelligence to a bunny? And why did it sound like a complement? I'll be honest, I'm not liking the way Fluttershy is casually dissing me._ I gave a slight growl of annoyance. Yes, I know it's juvenile, and that it didn't make me seem any more intelligent. But, dang it, I was frustrated.

"But, uhhhm, anyways Rarity, I was wondering if you could make him a collar in case he gets lost? Ummmm, if it's not too much trouble, that is."

_A collar? No way, no how!_ I turned to walk away, but then thought of the stare. I shuddered, as I do every time I relive that experience, and turned around. I would not do anything to risk it again.

"But of course I can. As they say, beauty can tame the most savage beast! Just bring him inside, and let the magic happen!" Her proclamation finished, the white unicorn turned around and entered the carousel-esque building. Fluttershy followed her inside, and I timidly followed Fluttershy.

The interior of the building was filled with mannequins in the shape of ponies, dressed in different dresses. It was clear that whoever worked/lived here lived for fashion. The dresses appeared to be modified human dresses, except they were covered with every kind of gem imaginable. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds and pearls were embroidered onto every dress, making each one sparkle. _Whoa! i've never seen so many jewels in one place before! I'll bet these cost a ton of money._

I shook my head to rid it of the thoughts of how much I could, theoretically of course, steal. I caught up to Fluttershy, and stood next to her as the white unicorn dug through a pile of loose cloth.

Suddenly she straightened up and proclaimed: "Aha! Here it is." And balanced on the end of her hoof was a tape measure. _Wait, how did she pick it up with hooves? I can barely pick things up, and I have hands? Never mind, I'm sure the explanation wouldn't make any sense._

"Alright darling! Now, if you would be so kind as to let me measure your neck, I would greatly appreciate it." Suddenly, the tape measure _floated_ in the air, and began to move towards my neck. I wouldn't let anyone touch my neck, never again. Nervously, I backed away while looking for any avenue of escape. I felt a table against the back of my thigh, just as the tape measure almost reached me.

_I'm sorry for this._

I reached behind me, and grabbed great heaps of cloth in both hands. I threw one pile over the white unicorn, and the other over Fluttershy before she could use her stare on me. The white unicorn attempted to take a step forwards, but her hoof caught on some of the fabric over her head, and down she fell. I didn't even look at what happened to Fluttershy, I would've felt too guilty. Instead, I ran out the door and onto the street.

"Teddy!" I heard Fluttershy call behind me from inside the shop. I picked a random direction, and started running, but this time, without Fluttershy to accompany me, ponies started taking notice of me in a bad way. I heard a pony with a lily i her hair collapse in the road while saying, "The horror... the horror." _I'm I the only one who thinks that's just a little overdramatic._

I ran as fast as I could, and soon I was out of the town, and on the edge of a forest. _Alright! There's no way she'd find me in there!_ I started to enter, but heard the howling of multiple wolves. _Uhhhh, I think it'd be a better decision to not go into the woods. Not that I'm scared or anything._

I looked around for a spot to hide. I spotted a little bridge over a shallow stream, and dashed underneath it. Just in time, too, as I immediately heard Fluttershy call out: "Teddy? Oh Teddy, please stop running."

I stood stock still, after all, if she couldn't find me she couldn't use her stare. After several moments of tense silence, I heard her begin to move away in a different direction, still calling the name she gave me.

I let out a sigh, and just sat down in the water. _So, what am I going to do now? Maybe I should go back. I mean, I'm a stranger in a strange land, so it might be best to stay with someone who knows their way around._ Suddenly I heard light hoof-steps walking over the bridge. They stopped in about the middle, and I heard the maker of the noise sit down. Again, I stopped moving; I didn't want anyone to know where I was until I'd decided what to do.

_Great. I can't leave this bridge until whomever is up there , now they're... crying?_ Indeed, I could hear quiet sobbing from above me on the bridge. I could tell whomever was crying was a girl, a young one too at the sound of her voice. _Should I see if I could comfort her?_

Just as I was about to stand up, I heard two more hoof-steps. I immediately assumed her friends had come to comfort her. _Alright, well, her friends will comfort her, she'll stop crying, and then I can leave._ Smiling slightly, I waited for her to stop crying.

One of the newcomers shouted: "How're you doing, Blankflank?" I then heard two voices laugh. _Is Blankflank a term of endearment?_ The other newcomer then added: "Why're you crying? You just made a fool out of yourself in front of everyone?"

The crying one sniffled, then responded: "Just leave me ahlone. An for your informahtion, ah'm not cryin." This statement was belied by even more sobbing sounds.

_Wait! These aren't her friends, they're making fun of her. Should I do something? What do I do? I know, I'll..._

**Chapter: That'll Be The Day**

_I know, I'll scare those bullies._ I stepped out from under the bridge, then hooked my good hand on the lip and pulled myself up to where I could hear the continued crying and taunts.

I was greeted by the sight of a crying baby horse with a large red bow in her hair being taunted by two other baby horses. The crying one had her back to me, and she was curled up in a small ball and crying. I looked at the bullies and noticed that one of them had a spoon as a tattoo, the other has a small girly looking crown.

I stood up as tall as I could, and my shadow fell over the two bullies, who stopped their taunts and looked up with wide eyes. _Yeah, that's right! Look up at my terrifying badassness and feel fear!_ I raised my arms above my head, widening the height discrepancy even further, before letting out an earth shattering roar.

The bullies shrieked and turned and ran as fast as they could; the one with glasses went so far as to trip the other one and shout, "Take her!" the one who was tripped scrambled to her feet and ran away.

I was pretty proud, until I looked down and saw the little horse with a big red bow had begun crying even harder. This puzzled me, so I bent down, but was stopped when I heard her whisper, "Please don't hurt me."

_Now why would she think I was gonna hurt her?_ I puzzled to myself, _Didn't she see me scare off those bullies._ I heard the little horse with a big bow break down into a fresh wave of sobs. I grimaced, I couldn't handle girls crying.

Awkwardly, I kneeled down and rubbed her back. At first she froze, but then seemed to relax. After thirty or so seconds, she actually latched onto me in a big hug, yet still she was crying. I hugged her back, and let her cry on my shoulder.

After several minutes, the little horse with a big red bow stopped crying, and wiped her eyes on my shirt. _And her nose. Gross!_ she stepped back and asked, "Well shucks, here ah went an cried all over you, and I don't even know what you are. Are you a monster?"

I shook my head no.

"Wait, you're big, an you came from under a bridge, so you must be a troll! I'ma gonna call you trolly!" I shook my head and attempted to mime a "no," but the little horse with the big bow simply looked pleased with herself for coming up with such a name.

Suddenly I heard a new voice call out, "Hey Applebloom? Are you okay? You made us worried when you ran away after Diamond Tiara called you a hillbilly blank-flank in front of the whole class!" I turned and saw two more little horses walking down the bridge. One was orange and had wings, and the others was white and had horns.

I was worried that these two were also bullies, so I stood in front of the little horse I had just learned was called Applebloom protectively. The little orange one gasped and dashed forward and BIT ME! _Who does that?_

I shook my arm and the little orange one flew off, I then took a step back to avoid getting gored from the white one's horn. Unfortunately, as I had stepped protectively in front of Applebloom, when I stepped back my heel caught on her.

I fell backwards off the bridge.

I twisted my body in midair, and landed on my good hand with a wet crunch. _Nooooo! Not my good hand!_ I just lay face down in the water, until I suddenly remembered my need for air. I burst out of the water, cradling my newly broken wrist in my broken hand. _Both hands! Whyyyy?_ I sobbed inside my head, while on the outside, i was more reserved, my eyes barely watered.

Suddenly I heard Applebloom chime in with her southern accent. "Now why did you two go'n do that? That was mah friend Trolly!"

The little orange one looked down, then said, "But we thought it was a monster attacking you. Then we could get our Monster Slayers cutiemarks! We didn't know it was your friend. I'm sorry for hurting your troll."

The three little horses raced down to where I was laying on the river bank. Applebloom said, "C'mon Trolly, let's go to mah big sis Applejack, she'll fix ya up." She then lowered her head and started shoving my back. I groaned and got to my feet, which was hard with no usable hands.

The three little horses began leading me; the orange pegasus and the white unicorn on either side, and Applebloom behind me, still pushing me. We were walking for a good fifteen minutes, and we ended our journey in an apple orchard. Applebloom began calling for Applejack, and we heard a response: "In the barn!"

We walked up to a large farmhouse door, and entered it. Inside there was an orange pony with a ponytail! -_Heh. A pony with a ponytail!_- who gave Applebloom a stern look upon seeing me.

"Applebloom, what have ah told ya about bringin' home strays?" She scolded.

"Uhhhhh, not to?" Came the nervous response.

"Well there's a reason for it. We can't keep another pet."

"Awwwwww, but Applejack! Trolly protected me from Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara when they were pickin' on me again. Plus, he got hurt by Scoots and Sweetiebell."

Applejack sighed, and looked over at me. I was spacing out, and just blankly staring to the side while thinking about ponies with ponytails. Finally, she said, "Well, ahlright. But if'n he don't get along with Winona, we can't keep him. Now, why don't you three go find Fluttershy so she can fix his paw."

The three fillies shouted, "Cutie Mark Crusaders Fluttershy Finders!" at an ungodly volume, then promptly ran out the door. This knocked me off the proverbial thought train, but then replaced it with wonderings about how they could possibly shout so loud.

Suddenly, I felt a piece of clothe get wrapped around my sensitive neck. I froze, then heard Applejack say, "Well, it don't got yah name on it yet, but at least this here collar will get someone to bring yah back here if'n yah get lost." The idea horrible insulted me. I would've taken off the collar immediately, if I'd had any working hands.

_I wish I could give this cowgirl a piece of my mind. Why I oughtta..._

I was cut off by the opening of the barn door. I turned and looked towards it, just in time to get knocked over by a yellow blur. "Teddy! There you are! I was so worried about you." Fluttershy said from her position balanced on top of my chest, my broken hand painfully underneath her. She noticed this, and got off before immediately scolding me. "How could you be so careless? Why you've gone and broken your other hand. What am I going to do with you?"

I heard Applebloom pipe up, "Hey, how do you know Trolly?"

_Uh-oh._

**Chapter: On And On And On**

"How do you know Trolly?" Applebloom asked Fluttershy.

"Oh, well I found him, and he was lost and hurt, so I decided to take care of him." Fluttershy responded. _Yeah, you go girl! I ain't gonna be no little girl's pet!_

"But he's mah troll! Ah found 'im, an ah was gonna take care of 'im." Applebloom whined piteously. "Yah can't take 'im back!"

Fluttershy broke eye contact, and shuffled her feet awkwardly. "Well, I guess he could stay with you." _No. Fluttershy! be assertive!_

Luckily for me, Applejack took this moment to interject.

"Well nah, Applebloom, if this here troll belongs to Fluttershy, yah can't just take 'im."

"But Applejaaaaaaaack." Applebloom whined.

"No buts. He has to go with Fluttershy." _Thanks Jackie!_

Fluttershy and I were leaving the farm, when I saw a mountain of a horse pulling a plow in a distant field. Now, I've been seriously bigger than all the horses I've seen, but this one looked like a brick shit house. _I'm still taller though!_ While I marveled at the muscles the horse carried, Fluttershy had a very different reaction.

I heard a sharp intake of breath, and glanced over at Fluttershy. Normally she had a very light yellow coat, but for some reason there was a bright red patch on her cheeks. _Huh, what's that about? Oh wait, she's blushing? But why would she...? Wait, that red horse? Opportunity!_ I began an evil chuckle inside my head.

I looked back at Fluttershy, she had a goofy expression on her face as she stared dreamily at the stallion. I lifted my right arm from its sling and patted Fluttershy's back to get her attention, but her concentration was so deep that it took several seconds for her to look at me. I vaguely pointed at the red stallion, and then back at her. She blushed even harder, then slightly shook her head she could hide behind her mane.

"Oh, umm... that's just Big Macintosh." She muttered quietly.

I gave her the universal "go on" motion.

"Oh, well, he's Applejack and Applebloom's big brother. He works the farm. Oh, and he's so big and strong and nice and..." Suddenly she realized what she said, and clamped a hoof over her mouth. _Man, she's got it bad._ I smirked to myself and shook my head. Suddenly my eyes lit up. _Idea!_

I began to walk down the path leading to Fluttershy's cottage, but when I turned around, I noticed that Fluttershy was still staring at Big Mac. I huffed, and began growling to get her attention. "Oh, I'm so sorry Teddy, I just got distracted for a moment." And we continued down the path.

It was late at night, a few days later and I was the only one in the house still awake. I had waited this long in order to perform the necessary reconnaissance for my nocturnal mission. Slowly, I got up from my "bed" on the floor. Ever so silently, I tiptoed past the dozens of snoring animals and into the kitchen. I walked up to Fluttershy's cabinets, and opened them. _Jackpot._ I thought to myself. Indeed, my targets were right in front of my. Sneakily, I withdrew a parchment and a quill and set them down on the kitchen table. _Now to compose a steamy letter to Big Mac._

I picked up the quill between my thumb and the cast; I only broke my wrist on my left hand, unlike my right which was completely shattered. I then came up with what I was going to say, but when I tried to write it, I couldn't. All I did was end up scratching the parchment. Confused, I shook the quill to get the ink inside it moving. I then attempted to write again. It didn't work. _Jeez, what's up with this old-fashioned pen? Why isn't it writing?_

I gave it a closer examination. I turned the quill every which way in order to divine how it worked. I started mumbling theories about it's method of writing, but those mumbles came out as low growling. I was so lost in thought about the correct way to use the quill, that I didn't notice a small white rabbit enter the kitchen until he tugged on my pant leg.

I looked down at it, then did a double take. _Oh no! It's Angel Bunny! That little snitch will tell Fluttershy on me! Unless..._ As I ran down this line of thought, I glanced down at Angel Bunny. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, then mimed me a question. "What are you doing?"

I quickly mimed back to him (he is very good at understanding miming) "I'm just here to fix this quill. You see, it wasn't writing quite right, so I'm going to take it back to my workshop to fix it."

He seemed to puzzle over this answer, as if he wasn't sure if he should believe me. Thinking quickly, I offered "Why don't I get you some warm milk and a carrot before you go back to bed?" Angel considered this, before shrugging and following me to the fridge.

I opened the fridge and rummaged around in it for several minutes before finding the milk. _Seriously, who stacked like ten things in front of the milk?_ I shrugged, and started warming up Angel's milk on the stove. I then peeled his carrot for him, and gave it to him. By that time the milk was ready, so I gave him that too. He ate his carrot and drank his milk, then gave a yawn and went back to bed.

Grinning, I fucked him in, and tiptoed back to the kitchen. Apparently, I had made more noise than I had thought, as the kitchen was filled with small animals wanting warm milk and carrots. I gave a very long sigh, before starting the long process of giving them all warm milk and carrots. It took over a half an hour, but I finally put the last animal to bed. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, _Cooking with one hand is hard work!_, and got back to the letter I was going to write.

I put the tip of the quill to the parchment, and again attempted to write, only to again be greeted with failure. I gave another small growl of frustration. _Goddangit! How does this thing work?_ I started banging my head against the table in an effort to get my thoughts onto the paper through osmosis. Suddenly, I froze. I heard a small voice from upstairs call out: "Is everyone all right down there?"

I then heard the fluttering of wings coming down the stairs. _Oh crap! Oh crap, oh crap on crap! She's gonna catch me red handed with the letter and figure out my plan! Think! Think of a plausible excuse for why you're at the table with a quill and parchment._ I heard the fluttering get closer, and then Fluttershy entered the room.

"Gosh, Teddy. Why are you up so late?" Fluttershy asked quizically.

Hesitantly, I began rubbing my tummy. _Yeah! Play to her sympathies!_ This plan seemed to do the trick, as Fluttershy immediately began making me a small meal of warm milk and carrots.


End file.
